ACA enrollment deadline today for Jan. 1 health insurance coverage

If you want health insurance coverage January 1, 2017, through the federal marketplace, then you need to enroll today at healthcare.gov to guarantee that coverage.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services health insurance specialist Elissa Balch says there are all types of plans.

Some younger, healthier adults are signing up for catastrophic coverage.

“It’s still insurance, so it’s better than nothing, but it does have high deductibles,” Balch tells Nebraska Radio Network. “The good news is that catastrophic plans do cover three primary care visits every year at no cost and they still cover the preventive benefits that the other plan do, so there is that protection.”

Experts caution those in need of health insurance to choose carefully.

“We say you should look at your options, because, even if you’re in the marketplace currently, you might find a better deal,” says Julie Brookhart, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services public affairs specialist. “We know that people do every year – broader networks, lower premiums – so, we always encourage people to shop.”

While Republicans in Congress and President-elect Donald Trump have talked about repealing the Affordable Care Act, Brookhart says insurance companies will honor policies for the full year.

“Insurers have reaffirmed that, if you enroll in a plan for 2017, you pay your monthly premium, you will have insurance through the year 2017, because they do sign yearly contracts with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,” she says.